Baghdad Residents Face Power Blackout

After more than two weeks of bombing, the people of Baghdad faced additional hardships Friday _ a power blackout, lack of running water in parts of the city and casualties filling the hospitals.

Explosions sounded on the outskirts of Baghdad as warplanes struck targets in support of the U.S. ground troops gathering a few miles away. However, traffic on the streets was about normal for a Friday, the Muslim day of rest, and many shops were open.

Iraq's information minister, speaking on behalf of President Saddam Hussein, promised to defeat coalition forces at the gates of Baghdad.

"We are determined, God willing, to defeat them and destroy them on the walls of our capital," said Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, delivering a statement for Saddam, who has not been shown speaking on television since a taped appearance on March 24.

Coalition planes bombed Iraqi Air Force headquarters in central Baghdad and other targets throughout the city, but some areas still had running water and residents could be seen hosing cars outside their homes.

Bakeries, grocers and barber shops were open _ even without power _ and some appeared to be doing a brisk business. There were long lines at gas stations and some buses were running.

That veneer of normalcy, however, was nowhere in sight at southwest Baghdad's al-Yarmouk hospital, which was treating scores of civilians and soldiers from the Republican Guard Corps.

Some injured said they were from the Furat and al-Radwaniyah districts, both close to Saddam International Airport, where fierce battles have raged since Thursday afternoon. People at the hospital said dozens had been killed in the two districts, but that could not be confirmed.

"The aggression is not differentiating between civilians and military," said Health Minister Omeed Medhat Mubarak, adding that hospitals around Baghdad were swamped with casualties.

The power outage, which began Thursday evening, was not affecting hospitals in the capital because all had power generators.

As he spoke, trollies with more wounded civilians arrived, accompanied by weeping relatives.

"It was a fierce battle last night and today," 23-year-old Republican Guard soldier Omar Bahaeldeen Khalil said from his hospital bed. "But today we are in control of the airport again." U.S. military officials said the airfield had been secured but some Iraqis were still being cleared from buildings in and around airport.

The al-Yarmouk hospital buzzed with activity, with men crying from the pain of their wounds or hugging relatives for comfort.

Some were too weak to speak but showed wounds or bloodied bandages. Doctors and nurses dashed around, trying to cope with the rush of casualties.

The city was experiencing the first widespread power outage of the war. Bombs rocked the city before the blackout, but U.S. military officials said they had not targeted Baghdad's power grid.

A sustained power outage to the city of 5 million people would mean the disruption of water supply and sewage, which could spread disease at a time of rising temperatures.

The electricity went out as U.S. forces launched their attack on the airport, 10 miles southwest of the city center. Anti-aircraft fire could be heard near the airport, tracer rounds raced through the sky and artillery shells exploded in the air.

At a sandbagged sentry post in the city, one guard vowed to resist any assault on the city.

"We have given allegiance to our leader Saddam Hussein that we will be faithful soldiers," said Abdul Wahid Hidawi. "All they have to do is come to Baghdad to face the real Iraqis and, God willing we will make of them an example to others."